Wrench



R. H. STEIN.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31, 192:.

Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

hddddtti RICHARD H. S'l1311311, OF EXCEL-SIDE, SPBINGS,MISSOURI.

WRENCH.

Application filed October .31, 1921. Serial No. 511,546.

To all 1072 012146 may concern:

Be itlniown that I, ilurimnn Ill-l. STEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at EX- celsior Springs, in the county of Clay and State of Missouri. haveinvente'd certain new and useful Improvements in lVr-enches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improven'ients in wrenches and has as its general object to provide a wrench which may be manufactured at a low cost, will not be liable to dis arrangen'ient of its parts, and may be read ily adjusted for application to nuts of various sizes.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the wrench and the means provided for adjusting the aws thereof as to positively resist any spreading apart of the jaws after they have been relatively adjusted and when strain is imposed upon the wrench after its application to the nut.

The invention has as a further object the provision of a novel means whereby the jaw members of the wrench maybe relatively adjusted and held in positions of adjustment.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wrench constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional View therethrough.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

T he wrench embodying the invention comprises a pair of members one indicated in general by the numeral 1 and the other by the numeral 2, and one of these members as for example the member 2, is formed at one end with a notch 3 receiving a pivot lug 4i upon the corresponding end of the other member 1, a pivot pin being secured through the walls of the notch and through the said lug i so as to pivotally connect these ends of the members. The portions of the members 1 and 2 immediately forwardly oi the pivot 5 constitute the handle of the wrench, and the said members i and 2 at their forward. or free ends are formed with jaws which are indicated by the numeral 6. The jaws 6 may be of any desired form and preferably each is provided with a serrated nut engaging face 7. At this point it will be evident that by moving the members 1 and 2 relatively upon their pivot 5,

the jaws 6 of the said members may be relatively adjusted so as to adapt them for application to nuts oi various sizes. In order that the members 1 and 2 may be re strained against relative separation beyond a predetermined limit and thereby provide tor'maintenance of the jaws in positions of relative adjustment, means is provided which will now be described. The said means comprises a yoke Which is indicated in general by the numeral 8 and which coinprises'side members!) and a connecting poi: tion 10 which extends between the corresponding ends of the side members 9. The said members 9 at their opposite ends are pivotally supported as at ll from thememher 1 of the wrench, the yoke being so suspended as to straddle or embrace the memher 2. The point of pivotal connection of the yoke with the member 1 is located inwardly of the jaws 6, and in order that the yoke may suitably coact with the member 2, the under side of the said member 2 is formed with a longitudinally extending series of transverse notches or ridges constituting rack teeth and indicated by the numeral 12. By reference to the drawings and particularly Figure 2 thereof, it will be observed that the series of rack teeth 12 tends forwardly a greater or less distance beyond a point upon the member 2 corresponding to the point of location of the pivot 11 upon the member 1 and that the said teeth are spaced an increasing distance successively from the pivot 5 for the members 1 and 2. It will also be observed that the connecting portions 10 of the yoke S is engageable in the notches or with the teeth interchangeably and that when engaged with the teeth which are more remote from the pivot 5, the yoke 8 serves to hold the members 1 and 2 in positions of adjustment in. which the jaws 6 will be more or less closely spaced. On the other hand when the yoke is adjusted so as to engage the member 10 thereof with those of the teeth 12 which are located nearer the pivot 5, the members 1 and 2 will be at adjustment in such position that the jaws 6 will be more widely spaced. Thus by selectively engaging the member 10 of the yoke 8 with the teeth of the rack 12, the jaws 6 may be caused to assume and will be maintained in positions of adjustment variously spaced and adapting them for application to nuts of various sizes.

In order that the members 1 and of the wrench may be automatically separated or yieldably held apart and thus provide against free and unrestricted movement of the jaws 6 toward each other, a leaf spring 13 is secured at one end as at 141 within a channel 15 formed longitudinally in that side of the member 1 which opposes the member 2. The free end or forward portion of the spring is curved or deflected as at 16 in the direction of the member 2 and bears at its end against the said side of the said member. .It will now be evident that the spring 18 tends to yieldably force or hold the members 1 and 2 apart but that the members may be adjusted toward each other against the tension of this spring. Therefore by adjusting the yoke 8 upon its pivot 11 to engage its portion 10 with one or another of teeth 12 of the rack, the members 1 and 2 may be relatively adjusted upon their pivot 5 and maintained in the position of adjustment. By housing the spring 13 within the channel 15, the wrench may be completely closed as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 2 of the drawings, when not in use, and thus be caused to assume a compact form. Furthermore when the members are closed, the spring will be so housed as to protect it from contact with other objects and likewise protect it from moisture or any other agency which would be liable to impair its usefulness.

Having thus described. the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A wrench comprising a pair of members pivotally connected at one end and provided with coacting jaws at their opposite ends, a yoke pivotally supported upon one of the members and engageable with the other member selectively at points spaced varying distances from the pivot for the members, means yieldably separating the members, the said means comprising a spring, and one of the members being provided with a longitudinal channel within which one end of the spring is secured and held, the other end of the spring bearing against the opposing face of the other member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' RICHARD H. STEIN. [ns] 

